Do you remember that screensaver with the tiny little island that has one palm tree and is surrounded by turquoise water? And do you remember thinking: this can’t be real. But let me tell you: it is! You can find it on the San Blas Islands in Panama.

But getting to this paradise is not an easy task. At least it wasn’t for us. We left from Cartagena in Colombia on the sailboat Amande 2, fully booked with 13 passengers, three crew members and one dog. For two nights and one entire day, all we saw was the blue ocean and the occasional passenger involuntarily feeding the fish due to the constant rocking. That said, we did have a rather easy passage with a comparatively quiet sea. Which means we were motoring more than we were sailing. To waken us from our groggy trance, our skipper stopped the boat at one point to let us go for a swim. Or lets say – for those who dared to. Jumping into this blue mass of water with nothing but water and its creatures around is not for everyone. Try not to think of those good old shark movie classics…

On the second morning of the trip, paradise awaits us when we wake up. In front of us is an archipelago of more than 300 breathtakingly beautiful islands. Marcel and I hardly leave the water from that moment on, there is so much to discover! Never before have we seen such an intact reef.

Aside from the four Australians on board, everybody is impressed with the underwater beauty. After a short look, the Aussies decide that nothing compares to the Great Barrier Reef. And who knows, I’ve never been there. So instead they spend their time tanning and working out. Yeah! They actually brought along rubber bands and stuff. So whenever we go on an island, there’s a chance we bump into them running around or pumping their biceps. What a picture! I can’t even start to imagine what the native Kuna think of all this circus…

Speaking of which: they successfully fought against any attempts from the Panamanian government to suppress them. The San Blas Islands, now called Guna Yala, are an autonomous territory. Everyone going there must pay 20 dollars tax to the Kuna. Their strong-minded character still shows today: any kind of negotiations of prices is completely useless. They prefer selling one beer less than giving you a discount. Money, by the way, is the women’s territory. The saying goes that men would only spend it all on beer and rum…

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The three days around the islands go by way too quickly for our taste. We train our lungs with lots of diving when we go snorkeling, take tons of pictures and the bottle of rum we took along turns out to have been a good investment. But yeah, it’s not an action-packed adventure we’re on. But having read some gruesome reviews of this trip before leaving, I’m not complaining. There’s stories of drunk captains, unseaworthy ships, odysseys lasting several days or even sailboats that actually sunk. The most incredible one is about the Austrian captain Fritz the Cat. Our skipper tells us about it when we ask him about a shipwreck on a reef we pass. The short version: Fritz’ first sailboat sinks in the open sea, packed with 16 passengers and all their belongings. Luckily, they all survive. His second sailboat ends up on a reef. Trying to rescue it with his own ferry, he manages to run aground with that as well. And that’s where it still sits. In case you wonder: Fritz himself hasn’t had enough. He’s still sailing around somewhere. Luckily without passengers, though. No government wants to give him a permit anymore. Go figure!

I guess, we’re quite lucky with our crew. Even if we are sometimes annoyed with doggy Nino. Why? Well, let’s just say we give him the nickname „piss machine“. To his defense I will add this: Where’s a dog supposed to pee on a boat?

A last challenge awaits our stomachs on the very last day. The car drive from where we arrive to Panama City is more of a crazy rollercoaster ride for the first 1,5 hours. Thankfully, we make it to the city without any incidents. What we’re looking forward to most? A shower and the A/C!